Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow by Robert Judge Woerheide

Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow by Robert Judge Woerheide

In this inspired collection, composed over seven crucial years in the life of poet Robert Judge Woerheide, we learn what it is like to be a prisoner and what it is like to be free, from within and without.

The first selection in Providence in the Fall of a Sparrow: A Journey of Poems, “Neanderthal Love,” pictures a prehistoric tribe carefully watching over a wounded comrade, his broken legs necessitating his cradling and foretelling his death, after which they will dig a grave a meter deep: “perhaps the first to ever be loved in this way.”

“Elegy for the […]

SPR2020-08-26T05:40:57+02:00August 25th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Poetry Book Reviews|

Review: Newton’s Cradle by Robert Valdin

Newton's Cradle by Robert Valdin

Humanity’s desperation for survival clashes with its fatal hunger for power in Newton’s Cradle by Robert Valdin. What begins as a corporate and international espionage story over power generator prototypes and mineral contracts becomes a fascinating and existential thriller about the fate of the human race, and the steep price such salvation will demand.

Terence and Duncan want to save the world by mitigating the use of non-renewable fuels, but Terence soon discovers that Duncan hasn’t been entirely forthright, and may already have the ultimate solution in hand. Pitting these allies against one another, yet also unifying them in a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-24T08:29:05+02:00August 23rd, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: The Albatross: Contact by Connor Mackay

The Albatross: Contact by Connor Mackay

Author Connor Mackay makes an impressive debut with his epic space adventure, The Albatross: Contact. With precise language, unforgettable characters, and a twisted plot that feels primed for the big screen, this knockout of a novel wrestles masterfully with alien forces and some of humanity’s darkest demons.

Forged in the crucible of war, Will is one barfight or drunken night from ending his painful stint on Earth, perhaps even at his own hand, but when an opportunity to escape to the stars presents itself, he and his ride-or-die vet pal Frank decide to join a much grander battlefield. There […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-20T02:53:42+02:00August 19th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Space Opera Book Reviews|

Review: Stocks, Bonds & Taxes by Phillip B. Chute, EA

Stocks, Bonds & Taxes by Phillip B. Chute, EA

With information and recommendations garnered over more than thirty years of practice, author/business advisor Phillip B. Chute has compiled an exhaustive manual for financial investment and planning in Stocks, Bonds & Taxes: A Comprehensive Handbook and Investment Guide for Everybody.

Each chapter of this informative guide contains information about a particular aspect of investing: Equities, Bonds, Mutual Funds, and Other Investments. Each gives a general explanation of the terminology, followed by sections exploring individual investment items, offering Planning Tips, advice on Tax implications, and a look at Compliance matters. For seasoned investors, some of this will be old hat, […]

SPR2020-12-23T05:27:35+02:00August 17th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Finance Book Reviews|

Review: This Book Is The Longest Sentence Ever Written And Then Published by Dave Cowen

This Book Is The Longest Sentence Ever Written And Then Published by Dave Cowen

Author Dave Cowen releases an epic text upon the world in This Book Is The Longest Sentence Ever Written And Then Published. An ambitious, self-reflective, and impressive achievement, this book is a stream-of-consciousness sprawl that is both addictive and admirable, exploring the writer’s insecurities, goals, personal history, and philosophy, without ever dropping a full stop.

Setting out on a seemingly mad and quixotic quest to write the longest sentence ever written, the author is determined to dethrone the endless sentences of James Joyce, Jose Saramago, and Jonathan Rotter – though Lucy Ellmann may have outdone him with the thousand-page Ducks, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-08-18T03:25:51+02:00August 17th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Literary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Surviving the Darkness by Robert Nicholls

Surviving the Darkness by Robert Nicholls

Having recovered from a battle with “the black dog,” as depression is sometimes known, author Robert Nicholls shares the discoveries gained in that difficult process in Surviving the Darkness: Lessons Learned from a Battle with Depression and Anxiety.

Nicholls was a successful business owner, a specialist in business law, and former prosecutor, who had made significant headway in life as a husband, father, and professional. In pursuing his ambitions, he began to neglect all aspects of life except his work – he took less time for recreation, became chronically tired, gained weight, became fearful about social connections, and began […]

SPR2020-08-18T02:40:42+02:00August 16th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Health Book Reviews, Psychology Book Reviews|

Review: Finding Fate (Tied by Fate Book 1) by Keelan Storm

Finding Fate by Keelan Storm

Seemingly innocent teenage pursuits turn into some very serious adult issues in Finding Fate, an emotional tale of young adult angst by Keelan Storm.

Life has more or less returned to normal since the death of Isabel “Izzy” Dearly’s father. Izzy has her beloved dance and babysitting to keep her occupied, and her friends to hang out with. She’s also enjoying the attentions of the handsome new guy, Wesley, who’s a lifeguard in their coastal Texas tourist town along with her twin sister, Annie, and her good friend, Tucker Patterson.

Although Wesley and Tucker are both hot, Wesley’s kind […]

Marta Cheng2020-09-22T03:10:16+02:00August 13th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: Stockboy Nation by Thomas Duffy

Stockboy Nation by Thomas Duffy

A long-awaited sequel from author Thomas Duffy, Stockboy Nation is a portrait that many readers will recognize with a shiver, set as it is in the early days of the pandemic. The struggles of a normal couple trying to hold it all together as their lives careen out of control is a story that echoes loudly these days, and Duffy’s stark, realistic writing brings present-day anxiety to the fore.

After the success of his first novel and the failure of his second, Philip Doherty is trying to keep his chin up as the world comes crashing down. Desperate to make […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-10-04T03:56:42+02:00August 13th, 2020|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|